Formation of corn grain yield and quality depending on mineral nutrition rates and nitrification inhibitors

Abstract

Corn is a globally consumed cereal crop that has found widespread application in numerous industries due to its physiological properties. This has led to an increase in its cultivation volumes, which currently exceed 1 billion tons, requiring significant amounts of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. To enhance their efficiency in agricultural practice, nitrification inhibitors are used, reducing nitrification and N₂O emissions from soils. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of mineral nutrition rates and nitrification inhibitors on corn grain yield and quality. The research was conducted in 2023 under field conditions at VP "Hoholeve" LLC "Agrofirma imeni Dovzhenka" (Poltava region) using the RGT Lipexx corn hybrid (FAO 290). The study established that after the application of UAN-32 with Ultra Boost for NH3 (1.5 L/ha), the nitrogen level in the soil increased on average by 28.4 %, 15.5 %, and 13.4 % in the respective horizons of 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm. The highest nitrogen content was recorded in the plot where 300 kg/ha of UAN-32 was applied, exceeding the levels in plots with lower fertilizer doses by 7.9–18.0 %. It was determined that a positive nitrogen content dynamic in the soil after six months was observed only in the plots with 250 and 300 kg/ha of UAN-32 in the upper horizons. The highest yield (70.6 q/ha) was obtained in the plot with 300 kg/ha of UAN-32 and UBfNH3, which was 22.1 % higher than the control. It was found that grain bulk density varied from 792 to 816 g/L, and the weight of 1000 kernels ranged from 264 to 306 g depending on the UAN-32 application scheme combined with UBfNH3, indicating the influence of fertilizers on grain production. The protein, starch, and fat content increased with higher UAN-32 application rates, with the maximum values (11.0 %, 70.0 %, and 7.0 %, respectively) recorded in the plot with 300 kg/ha of UAN-32. The research results confirm the high efficiency of using UAN-32 (300 kg/ha) in combination with UBfNH3 to improve corn grain yield and quality.